When are Machu Picchu Online Entry Tickets Available Each Year?

Starting every year in January, the official Machu Picchu government website (TuBoleto) releases all the entry tickets through December 31, in batches. This takes about 9-10 days. The exact date to begin this process can vary from year to year, but usually begins around the 2nd week. This is why entry tickets to Machu Picchu are only available one year at a time.

So the question is, how do travelers who are traveling in the early days of January, plan their trips if they can't get entry tickets to Machu Picchu? For people who are traveling from January 1-6 (or so), those tickets are released early. Last year they did it in late November. But in previous years, it was mid December. 

The first batch released in January will be for entry through the end of the month. The next day, tickets are released for entry in February. The next day they may release March and April together. And each day after that more batches of tickets are released until everything is online for entry through December 31. (This is when I go to work to manually count the ticket capacity each year. Capacity is the only way to determine if Machu Picchu is getting more crowded. If you're interested in finding out more about so-called "overtourism" at Machu Picchu, click here.)

Does anyone have access to Machu Picchu entry tickets before they are released?

No. No one. Not even Pachamama or Jesus could get an entry ticket to Machu Picchu prior to the official release dates in January each year. 

What do Inca Trail hiking permits have to do with Machu Picchu ticket availability?

Nothing except for one little thing. Each hiking permit comes with entry tickets to circuits 1 and 3. So. can you tell where I'm going with this? Because hiking permits come from a separate pool of entry tickets to Machu Picchu, when the online entry tickets are sold out, we have been able to get hiking permits and use just the entry tickets to Machu Picchu. However, before you get all tingly and start clapping your hands, this applies only to circuit 3. Access to circuit 1 at the upper terrace is only from the Inca Trail as you descend on foot from the Sun gate. And. Even if you don't do the hike, it's still a 2-day trip because the entry time for circuit 3 is early morning before trains start arriving, so you need to spend the night in Aguas Calientes. Let me point out that this is my preferred way to do it. I'm not in the camp for doing 1 day trips to Machu Picchu. Want to see the 2-day Itinerary? Go Here!

How do travelers get Machu Picchu entry tickets if they're planning trips in advance?

It's customary for tour operators and travel companies to sell trips to Machu Picchu months or even a year in advance, even though entry tickets are not available. If you're DIY trip-planning, it's helpful to schedule some space around your entry date/time preferences in case you have a nervous breakdown when you try to buy your tickets during "batch-release-week-from-hell." Just kidding guys! You only need to do it for one day. Imagine the tension we endure each "batch-release day." It's "all hands on deck" for tour operators admin staff who sit on computers with a list of their groups who need tickets. At exactly 0-9 hundred, Peru time, each day, the race is on. The website can crash, get stuck while you literally watch the tickets for your dates dwindle, or payments don't go through. So we would appreciate it if you don't bother us around the 2nd and 3rd weeks of January! Haha. Just joshing you! Here's a tip! You can thank me later. DO NOT translate the Machu Picchu website page from Spanish. We have noticed that ticket availability can change. And it won't be in your favor. It never is.

Can tour operators pre-buy entry tickets to Machu Picchu to resell later?

No. Never. It's not possible for one simple reason. Entry tickets don't leave the Machu Picchu website without 2 things. Passport/ID and full payment. Please read my lips: every ticket that comes off the official Machu Picchu website must display the passport/ID of the ticket holder! Well what about the train companies who sell train tickets bundled with Machu Picchu entry tickets. Still "no" amigos. If tickets aren't available on the official website, train companies can't get you a ticket. What if you see a travel company advertising Machu Picchu tickets for sale when there's no availability on the official website? Now you understand what I'm saying grasshopper. Red flag! Good for you! They're either selling you a package trip to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you can stand in line for 1 day or more to buy one of the 1000 in-person tickets per day, or they forgot to update their website! Oops! Or what else could they be doing? If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then don't click that button!

Do all the entry tickets to Machu Picchu allow access into the actual ancient Inca city?

Sadly, no. In June 2024, when  the Peruvian Ministry of Culture reorganized all the routes into 10 circuits, they slipped in a fast one on us. They actually created 4 circuits with NO access to the Inca city. That's right. I'm not kidding. You walk up to the upper terraces on any circuit 1 route and if you're not doing one of the C1 hikes, then you grab a shot of the panoramic view, then, if you're lucky, you get a pat on the back on the way out. Unfortunately, there have been people who ended up with these tickets to Machu Picchu to "no-man's-land," which doesn't allow the ticket holder to drag even one toe into the boundaries of the actual thing they came across the world to see. The ancient Inca city. Don't get me wrong. The view is fantastic and fun to enjoy. It's ideal to do it as a second entry, not your one and only entry. Unless that's what you want! Not judging. But for sure, it's not the same as getting up close to the fountains, the residences and the strange Inca houses I mentioned in a previous post (which will blow your mind! ha!)